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Slug and Lettuce has a chain of almost a hundred bars spread across the country sharing a common love of serving down to earth, undemanding food and drink.

The group prides itself on offering dishes prepared using quality ingredients, and you should be attended on by attentive staff in a safe, welcoming and cheerful environment. The Slugs have something for anyone - breakfast for a lively start to the day, lunch for busy people, family meals or even a relaxing glass of wine to bring a tiring day to an end - all in a variety of modern and stylish settings.

The menu features old time English favourites such as Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages in buttered mash or fish pie made with Dartmouth smokehouse haddock, in a Devon cream and leek sauce, although dishes look to Europe and further afield to Asia for inspiration. A good way to start the enjoyment is by sharing platters of Southern fried chicken breast pieces, crispy potato wedges, garlic ciabatta strips, half a rack of BBQ pork ribs, wasabi vegetables with onion rings or some Greek mezze

Hearty steak pies, Thai curry with sticky jasmine rice or butternut squash with goats' cheese lasagne are amongst the more popular main dishes. Sandwiches or wraps - warm tortilla with chicken and Parmesan or aromatic duck in plum sauce - provide for those who prefer something lighter. They also serve burgers as well as tempting salads like salmon, asparagus or tomato and mozzarella. For children they have good old British standby sausage and mash, or pepper pasta and ketchup among other choices, all of which never fail to delight, particularly as some of them seem to have come out of a certain celebrity chef's Book of Forbidden Dishes.

Desserts appear in the form of raspberry biscotti, hot chocolate pudding or a creamy strawberry cheesesake. The wine list is well compiled and substantial. There are not less than seven French, three from Italy and some from Spain, Chile, Australia as well as New Zealand. Slug and Lettuce can cater for events including birthday parties, fashion shows, hen nights, wedding parties or just an enjoyable night out with a few friends.

The Beeches Bar and Grill with its warm relaxing colours, comfy sofas and fine views, is a sought-after place to eat and drink in the Solihull area. Located on the hill in the picturesque village of Hampton In Arden, it has an excellent name for serving an eclectic mix of fresh food, with a tapas-style starters menu, and main dishes that depend upon simplicity and good presentation.

The starters and tapas range is impressive and could include steamed mussels laksa, meatballs, lamb kofta, dim sum, crispy duck spring rolls, wild mushroom and chicken liver pâté, chicken satay, sticky beef salad and pitta and red pepper houmous, to name but a few. There is no doubt the British have taken tapas to their heart and it is a shrewd move to offer as good a range as these on a sliding scale with best value at £17.95 for three to share.

The mains selection reads like a quality brasserie menu, full of dishes that seem irresistible, like a slow braised beef curry, honey mustard pork chop, and the fabulous shredded duck.

The Beeches however are now fast becoming known for their fantastic grill range. Four different beef options grace the menu, including fillet, sirloin, rib eye and rump cap. They come in a range of sizes, from 7oz, perfect size for lunch, priced from £10.95 right up to a 14oz, which is £29.95.

There are also five different grilled fish options including salmon, whole lemon sole, and the big favourite, lobster. Each grill item comes with your choice of side and sauce.

After such culinary largesse it is not always quite so easy to find space for one of the excellent range of desserts, but most make a determined effort, and apple and pear crumble with cinnamon sauce anglaise, or winter berry Eton mess makes a fitting end to events. Dessert wine is sold by the glass, including Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and when the coffee arrives, a selection of cognacs and armagnacs would be difficult to ignore.

Brunch is an honoured institution at The Beeches and for those to whom the middle of Saturdays and Sundays is revered territory such delights as eggs Benedict, Irish smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, a toasted butty with sausage and bacon, or the dangerous pleasures of what is euphemistically described quite simply as The English, lend a special flavour to the day.

The Beeches has been described as Warwickshire's hotspot, an apt description, amply reinforced by the long line of joined and handsome sash windows, rather like the stern of a massive man o'war looking out over the Warwickshire countryside. What a view! The outside decking area and inviting smoking area, means there is something to do, and something to eat for everyone!

Places like The Beeches are the face of the future for eating out in Britain and offer a cuisine that is both healthy and spot-on value; to find out more do visit their attractive Website.

Pizza Express remains a hugely popular bedrock of casual eating. Its popularity is testimony to the fact that across the country, they have restaurants where you will always be guaranteed a good nosh, with children's tastes being well catered for.

Pizza Express has gone even more Roman, and following the success of that particular example of listening to their public have introduced Romana pizzas, including the scorching Etna and the hearty Siciliana.

These pizzas are now thinner, bigger and crispier, and if that sounds like a marketing line, it is. However, unlike many such lines, this one is true, and their quality is always consistent, though cleverly they have still managed to retain a homemade feel to their pizzas.

As an alternative to pizza, try their pollo pesto - cavatappi pasta with torn chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions and mozzarella in a creamy gruyere, parmesan and pesto sauce and finished with grana padano - or the niçoise salad with mixed leaves, yellowfin tuna, free range egg, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes with olives, anchovies, capers and house dressing.

Many of the big chains have come a long way, and Pizza Express is certainly amongst them. One of the first to be quoted on the Stock Exchange - in 1993 - Pizza Express is not a franchise operation and retains tight control through its own staff.

Their wine list - though short - contains some surprisingly good offerings, especially their intense Australian Chardonnay, and a big, full-bodied Merlot from Cusumano, Sicilia.

Driving along an avenue of chestnut trees you soon realise the peace and seclusion of Hogarths; set in twenty six acres of beautiful woodland, it's hard to believe that you are only a few miles away from the centre of England's second largest city, Birmingham, with its cosmopolitan atmosphere and world-class facilities.

As a result, Hogarths is sometimes described as Solihull's best kept secret, the trouble with some best kept secrets is that nobody tends to go to them very much for fairly obvious reasons, so we're happy to tell you that this is an exception to the rule. It seems that enough people have cracked it to enable Hogarths to come out roses, which may have something to do with the décor of the dining room. The ambience is warm and welcoming, and the food, prepared by Chef Simon Douglas and his team is distinctly British with a modern twist, enjoying the benefits of seasonal, fresh local produce . The enticing aroma of homemade bread lingers with the wood smoke and it all feels very homely.

There are several private dining rooms in Hogarths with access to private gardens and terrace with views over the grounds. They are also keen on making your special occasion memorable with customised or gourmet menus accompanied by wines.

Gabriele warmly welcomes guests to his restaurant Da Santino to discover a genuine taste of Italy. He is from the sunny bay of Naples founded by the Greeks as Neapolis, later followed by the Romans who famously created the city of Pompei, built to take advantage of the climate and fertile land where excellent food and wines are produced. Today Naples is a bustling city where people are passionate about life and food, where even a poor man eats like a king.

The venue offers a wide range of delicious starters, a varied menu of authentic Italian pasta, veal, chicken and beef dishes, and an excellent selection of fresh fish served with homemade superb sauces. Specialities here include dishes such as golden crisp whitebait dusted with paprika, fine slices of parma ham and melted cheese wrapped in a butterfly chicken breast, and fillet of beef in a brandy cream with black peppercorns.

A comprehensive wine list is at hand to complete your meal.

Things seem to move fast at Wagamama - the Asian inspired, noodle restaurant chain that was started in 1992. As soon as you decide what you want to eat, your order is taken via a PDA, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen, so it can be made fresh and served right after. The restaurant chain does not believe in taking reservations, and all customers are seated on a first come, first serve basis. In fact, be aware that most of the tables are long ones and you will often be asked to share them.

The restaurants are modelled on traditional Japanese ramen bars that have been popular for hundreds of years - ramen are Japanese style noodles, served in a meat-based broth, topped with pork, dried seaweed or even corn. Chilli beef ramen, made of noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled sirloin steak and fresh vegetables, is hearty and satisfying.

Apart from ramen, you could opt for the coconut soup based kare noodles or teppan, cooked on a hot, flat griddle. They also offer many rice dishes like katsu curry, chicken fillet deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a lightly spiced curry sauce and sticky white rice. Vegetarians are definitely not ignored, as they can opt for saien soba, made using whole-wheat noodles in a soup topped with stir-fried vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and garnished with sliced spring onion.

Meat and vegetable dumplings, skewered chicken, deep-fried prawns and raw salads double as both sides and starters. Steamed green soya-beans, called edamame, go well with drinks - hold them up to your mouth and squeeze the succulent beans from the pod. If you've noticed, Wagamama is more about eating healthy food fast and less about the order. Don't be surprised if you're served the main course before the side dish - order isn't important, the aim is, don't wait - just tuck in and share.

Wash down your meal with sake, plum wine or even a Japanese beer. Wind up your meal with coconut reika - three scoops of dairy coconut ice cream topped with a fresh, tangy mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes or the tamarind and chilli Pavlova, with a crunchy meringue base served with a raspberry and tamarind sauce.

At Wagamama, you can also shop for cookbooks, sauces, ramen bowls and t-shirts. The restaurant is all about enjoying genuine, reasonably priced, Pan-Asian cuisine in a sleek but informal setting.

The Orange Tree is not exactly your normal, average run-of-the-mill pub, instead it features an open kitchen, stone fired ovens and log burning fires with beautifully landscaped gardens for al fresco dining.

The menu is simple but up-to-the-minute, with lots of comfort appeal, with homely things like pizza, steaks and pasta as well as contemporary, global touches to keep things lively. The wine list contains well known favourites, alongside little numbers from around the world.

Over the summer months you can meander the day away enjoying fine food and chilled wines and beers, forgetting about the worries of work! The atmosphere at The Orange Tree is relaxed, friendly and informal, while the overall impression is of a pub which is comfortable, light and open with friendly service.